General Questions

Are you an accredited center?
Yes, CLC is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and The Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS).

How many children do you have in your center?
The Centers' enrollment capacity is 211 children.

Do you provide drop-in services?
No, we do not offer drop-in child care services. Our Center operates with annual Enrollment Contracts only.

Do you serve meals?
No, the Center only provides a morning and afternoon snack. Lunch is provided by the family. Food and/or milk for special dietary needs are also provided by the parent.

Are you a Lab School?
No, we are not.

Do you offer center tours?
Yes, we offer tours by appointment in the mornings between 9:00 – 11:00am and in the afternoons between 3:00 – 5:00pm.

Enrollment

Do you have to be affiliated with UH to apply for enrollment?
Yes. CLC serves only children of the University of Houston faculty, staff & students.Click here to access CLC Enrollment Eligibility online.

What are your hours?
We are open Mon - Fri 7:00am to 6:00pm.

If I do not attend summer school, can I still have a space held for upcoming fall semester?
Student parents enrolled in the spring semester do not have to take summer school classes in order to maintain CLC enrollment eligibility. CLC does not hold enrollment openings; your child must stay enrolled at CLC to have priority registration for the next semester.

Do I have to reapply every semester to keep my child’s space?
No, CLC has an annual Enrollment Agreement.

How much notice should I give before withdrawing my child?
The Center requests at least a 2 week written notice to be approved by the Director in order to cancel an Enrollment Agreement.

Can I stop in anytime and have a tour of the center?
No, we offer tours by appointment in the mornings between 9:00 – 11:00am and in the afternoons between 3:00 – 5:00pm.

Waiting List

How often are spaces for children available at the center?
We have openings every semester and occasionally during the semester.

When can I put my child on the waiting list?
Anytime the Center is open you can turn in the waitlist application and pay the $45 fee.

Child Care Tuition Assistance Programs

Is there any kind of financial assistance for student parents?
CLC offers two different child care tuition scholarships for student parents who qualify based on financial need as determined by the UH Scholarships and Financial Aid Office. Student parents, both graduate and undergraduate, may be eligible. This funding is independent of the UH Scholarships and Financial Aid Office.

How do you determine who is eligible to receive financial aid?
For a graduate/undergraduate student parent to be eligible for the SFAC (Student Fees Advisory Committee) child care tuition assistance, he/she must have a remaining need as determined by the UH Scholarships and Financial Aid Office.

For an undergraduate student parent to be eligible for the CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents In School) child care tuition assistance, he/she must have a remaining need as determined by the UH Scholarships and Financial Aid Office and receive the UH Pell Grant.

All applicants must:

  • Have a child enrolled at CLC.
  • Have a completed application for the current academic year on file with the UH Scholarships and Financial Aid Office. This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Be in good academic standing as defined by UH and enrolled for a minimum of six semester hours. Failure to maintain six semester hours may result in forfeiture of the assistance. (A minimum of three semester hours for summer is an option available for SFAC scholarship recipients only).
  • Not owe money to CLC.
  • Be willing to follow all policies and procedures of CLC.

Approved assistance can only be used for the current semester.

Curriculum

Does CLC have a curriculum for classrooms?
Yes, at CLC all classrooms use NAEYC's Developmentally Appropriate Practices and a child's learning assessments to develop their lesson plans. The preschool classrooms follow the benchmarks outlined for preschool education by the Texas Education Association,http://www.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/early/prekguide.html.

Are you a lab school?
No, CLC is not a lab school.

How will I know what my child does during the day?
It is important for parents to know what is happening in their child's classroom and we encourage daily communications between parents and teachers. The following list shows some of the ways we stay in touch with parents:

  • Daily Reports from the classroom
  • Face-to-face Conversations
  • Phone Calls
  • Emails
  • Weekly Lesson Reviews
  • Parent Information Boards located in each classroom
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Open House
  • Children's Assessment Parent Report

Nutrition Program

Do you follow any food and nutrition programs?
Yes, we follow the federal and state nutritional guidelines.

Do I pay for the food my child receives at the center?
The cost of food provided by the Center (Morning/Afternnon Snacks) is included in the weekly tuition cost.

What do I do if my child follows a special diet?
Please refer to the Parent Handbook.

How will I know what my child eats during the day?
We have the monthly snack menu on the front desk and online at our website. Click here to access the snack menu online.

If I bring my child late for mealtime, will you still provide the meal?
No.

Parent

In what ways can I be involved in my child’s program?
CLC has many avenues for parent involvement. Please click hereto view our Parent Resource page.

Is the Center open during semester breaks?
CLC follows University of Houston staff holiday schedule.

Will the Center tell me if my child has special problems?
Yes, the classroom teachers will communicate with parents about their child; every child at CLC is screened for developmental delays.

Does my child have to be potty-trained to attend?
No.

Can I bring my child if he/she is not feeling well?
Please click here to read about our illness policy in the Parent Handbook.

What happens when my child gets sick while at the center?
You will be notified and are expected to pick up your child immediately. Please click here to read about the policy in the Parent Handbook.

Can my child bring special toys from home?
Please click here to view the program guidelines regarding items brought from home.

May I bring birthday treats for my child?
With a teacher's permission, you may bring store bought cake/cupcakes/cookies that can be served during snack. Please refer to the birthday policy in the Parent Handbook.

May I come and visit my child at the center?
Yes, for an extended visit please communicate/schedule with the classroom teacher.

Billing & Payments

What are the accepted methods of payment?
We accept checks, money orders or credit cards (Visa/MasterCard only). We do not accept cash. Checks should be made payable to the University of Houston.

What are the current childcare rates?
Click Here.

Where do I pay, how often do I get billed?
You can make payments on-site at the front desk, by phone or through prearranged bank payments. Tuition payments are due weekly and in advance of services. Your account is billed each Friday for the next week of services.

What if I cannot pay my bill by the due date?
The Enrollment Agreement and Parent Handbook states all fees are due in advance of services. Late fees are charged on Tuesday at 12:00 noon, when payment for the week has not been received.

Do I pay for days my child is absent due to illness, vacation or simply a day off?
CLC does not pro-rate weekly charges for days missed; the full tuition amount is due even when your child is absent. However, your annual Enrollment Agreement does allow for 3 weeks to be used as vacation weeks and you do not pay for these weeks. Request must be made in advance in writing on a Vacation Request Form.

Is there any sibling discount?
No.

How do I pay if my child wants to attend four days a week?
The fee is the same as the 5 day rate; other enrollment options are Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday for children age two or older.  

Do I pay registration fees each year?
Yes, registration, building maintenance and supply fees are due annually.

Advisory Board

How can I become a member of the advisory board?
The CLCAB is composed of 12 voting members: 2 student members appointed by the Student Government Association; 2 staff members appointed by the Staff Council; 2 Faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate; 6 CLC parents (3 must be student parents) elected in a simple election at CLC annually. Specific requirements for membership can be reviewed in the CLCAB Constitution and Bylaw available online.

How often do the members have to attend meetings?
There are 7 to 9 scheduled meetings a year.

Can anyone attend the meetings?
CLCAB welcomes input from all interested parties. Interested parties should contact the Chairperson in order to secure a position on the agenda of future meetings.

Are there teachers on the board?
Yes, the CLCAB has 3 ex-officio non-voting members. One of these is the director and the other 2 are CLC staff elected by their peers.

Staff

Do the teachers have CPR or First Aid training?
Yes, all fulltime staff is certified in Adult/Infant CPR and Pediatric First Aid; many of our part-time staff have these certifications as well.

What is a Program Manager?
At CLC a Program Manager is a classroom Lead Teacher with additional duties of managing a specific program.

What is the difference between a Lead Teacher, Associate Teacher and Assistant Teacher?
At CLC a Lead Teacher is the classroom manager in charge of maintaining a healthy/safe environment for the children, creating lesson plans with Developmentally Appropriate learning activities, and administering children’s assessments. An Associate/Assistant Teacher works closely with the Lead Teacher to implement the daily lessons/activities and may also act in the teacher’s absence. Associate Teachers participate in an intensive “Teacher Training” program as well.